CBI leads employers in calling for transitional Brexit deal on jobs and single market

British businesses are demanding a transitional deal with the European Union that allows continued access to the single market and its workers until any Brexit deal is finalised.

In an apparent push for a softer approach to Brexit, leading business groups have written to Greg Clark, the business secretary, calling on the government to “put the economy first” in the negotiations.

The letter is signed by the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI, the manufacturers’ group EEF, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors, whose members employ tens of millions of workers.